


Wings of Fire - The Forgotten Treasures

by Akarezik_AKA_Aki



Category: Wings of Fire - Tui T. Sutherland
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-18 23:28:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29990466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akarezik_AKA_Aki/pseuds/Akarezik_AKA_Aki
Summary: Set shortly after the events that began the war in 'The Dragonet Prophecy', this story follows a band of outcasts, exiles and explorers as they hunt down some of the oldest mysteries in Pyrrhia.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2





	Wings of Fire - The Forgotten Treasures

Snowdrift wasn’t certain if it was normal for a dragonet to be this excited about having scrolls read to them, but then her son wasn’t a typical IceWing, either. “Which scroll do you want to hear tonight?” she asked as she went to the shelf where she kept the few scrolls they owned. He could read well enough, but her son seemed to enjoy her acting out some of the scenes in the stories.

“Risktaker! I wanna hear Risktaker!” her son exclaimed as he bounded into the room, nearly clipping the doorframe with one of his wings. His scales caught the fading rays of sunlight coming through the window, causing them to seem to shift between bright blue and muted silver, a sharp contrast to her own gleaming white.

“The NightWing one again?” Snowdrift said, frowning. She had read _Risktaker and the Kingdom of Storms_ to him twice already, and he had hung on every word both times. Well, about as much as a nearly two-year-old dragonet could, anyway. “You already know how it ends, Squall. And you know most NightWings aren’t like Risktaker. Isn’t there another scroll you’d like to hear?” _One that preferably doesn’t take such liberties with other tribe’s abilities and personalities, even if it is fiction?_

Squall shook his head vigorously and stamped his talons. “No! I like Risktaker ‘cause he’s like me and the other dragons in his tribe think he’s a freak for not being able to read minds or see the future, but he’s actually really smart and strong and kind and he makes all sorts of cool friends.” His sky-blue eyes lit up as he gushed on, “Like Wave the rebellious SeaWing princess, or Gavial, the MudWing with the strength of a dozen dragons! Ooh, or Windchill, the IceWing who can freeze anything with a touch! Risktaker doesn’t trust her at first, but she saves his life more than once, and they even fall in love by the end!”

_Yes, and that is the most unbelievable part of the whole story,_ Snowdrift thought, _whoever wrote the scroll obviously didn’t know any IceWings or NightWings_. She pushed that train of thought down, instead focusing or the first part of Squall’s statement. “What do you mean, he’s like you because other dragons think he’s a freak? Have the other dragonets been picking on you again?” Her mind ran over all the things she thought IceWing dragonets would fixate on. _Could Rime have… no, he’d not want to draw any attention to me. Then what could it possibly be?_ She looked expectantly at her son, who was now staring down at his claws. For a long time, neither of them spoke, and she was about to tell him to forget she even asked when Squall suddenly choked back a sob.

“They… they never stopped,” he said finally, looking up at her. Snowdrift could see he was fighting back tears. “They just don’t do it where the grown-ups can hear. They’re always going on about how you… how you must be ashamed of having me because you had my name taken off the rankings wall right after I hatched, and Dad’s never here because he never wanted you to have me and that I’m not a _true_ IceWing and so I shouldn’t even exist and-” Squall’s voice faltered and he collapsed curled on the ground, crying and covering his head with his wings.

Snowdrift was shocked at how quickly her son had broken down; even for an IceWing, Squall had shown remarkable resilience towards the insults the noble children had thrown at him. Snowdrift put a wing around her son and held him close to her chest; he cried harder, but she felt him relax as she held him close. _What kind of parent am I if I didn’t even know my son was suffering?_ Rime’s face rose unbidden in her mind, leering and snide, just the same as the day her family had learned she was with egg without a clear mate.

“I always knew you would disappoint us, little sister.” He had said with their parents and other siblings at his back. “Whoever he was, I hope he was worth losing everything for.” Her family had torn the chain signifying her rank from her chest and cast her out rather than face the rumors that would surely have spread through the nobility about the fatherless dragonet. _Someone would have figured it out, eventually. My brother certainly suspected something when I wouldn’t say who the father was._

Squall sobbed a few more times under her wing, and Snowdrift felt him start taking deep, shaky breaths. After a moment he poked his head out to look at her; the tears he had shed had frozen in lines down his face, forming reflective streaks that were surprisingly beautiful. “Why did you take my name off the rankings wall, Mom?” he asked softly. There wasn’t any anger or sadness in his voice, but there was something about how he asked it that made Snowdrift guilty. “Did I do something bad when I hatched?”

“Oh, sweetheart, you didn’t do anything wrong.” Snowdrift sighed; there was so much she knew she would have to tell Squall as he grew up about who and what he was, but for now, she wanted him to at least have a chance at a normal life. _I can at least tell him this,_ she thought to herself, _I can lift this burden from his mind._ She touched one of her talons under his chin. “Squall, I took your name off the rankings wall because I wanted you to be free to live a life of your choosing, not one dictated by the rest of the tribe’s rules. You shouldn’t feel ashamed about not having a rank, if anything, you should feel proud of it.”

“You mean, like how Risktaker was proud of not being a mind reader?” Squall asked, “like how he told his tribe that ‘for all your powers, you still don’t seem to understand other dragons as well as I do?’, even though that got him exiled?”

Snowdrift snorted in amusement, but she wasn’t about to stymie her son’s growing confidence. “Yes, honey, exactly like that.” She brushed away one of the tear lines on his face. “He embraced what made him unique, and he was stronger for it. If it brings you strength, follow his example.”

Squall broke into a huge grin, causing the other tear line to crack and fall from his face. “Yeeaahh! I’m going to be just like Risktaker when I grow up!” He bounded around the room, unable to contain his joy. “I’m going to become a treasure hunter, and travel all over Phyrria and beyond, and meet all sorts of new dragons to be friends with! I’ll find ancient cities, strange treasure, and fight bad guys! I can’t wait to tell Flurry tomorrow! In fact, I’m going to tell her right now!” He jumped up the window and was halfway out it before Snowdrift managed to grab him and pull him back.

“Hold on there, storm cloud,” she said, using his nickname to get his attention, “Who’s Flurry, and why haven’t I heard of her?”

Squall’s eyes went wide, and his tail twitched twice to the left, a habit Snowdrift had learned he did when he was embarrassed or surprised. “O-oh, she and her parents just moved here from up north. A week ago, I think?” He fidgeted with his claws nervously. “She’s been really nice to everyone, and she’s… w-well, I mean, I think that she’s really…” he shuddered and trailed off, a distant look in his eyes.

“Pretty? Fierce? Smart?” Snowdrift offered, trying to help him finish.

“Yeah, pretty fierce and smart.” Squall said hurriedly, “A-anyway, you’re right, I’m sorry I didn’t mention her before. Can we talk about her more tomorrow? Please?”

_By the moons,_ Snowdrift thought, suppressing a knowing smirk, _he has a crush on her._ “Ok, but I’m not letting you off the hook about this.” She said, pulling Squall’s favorite scroll off the shelf, “For tonight, though, I can give it a rest. Now, are you ready to hear about how Risktaker the NightWing saved Phyrria by finding a long-lost tribe?”

“Am I ever!” Squall exclaimed. He raced into his room and leapt up into the sleeping alcove he had carved high in the wall. Snowdrift had been puzzled at first by Squall’s choice of bed but had learned to accept it as one of her son’s many quirks. She heard him rummaging through something he had tucked away in the back, and she was about to ask him what he was up to when suddenly he poked his head back out. “Oh, I almost forgot! Do you remember what you told me I had to do before you would take me to see Dad?”

“Of… course I do.” Snowdrift said slowly, not wanting to let Squall know she had forgotten a haphazardly formulated promise.

“Well, I finally did it! I flew up through the clouds! All by myself, too!” He was beaming with pride, and Snowdrift had to admit, it was impressive. _No, not just impressive,_ she thought darkly, creasing her brow. _In the weather lately, what he did would be nearly impossible for even a fully grown IceWing. So how did he do it without anyone putting the pieces together?_

“It’s actually what caused the other dragonets to pick on me all day, but now I think it’s just ‘cause they’re jealous they can’t fly like I can yet.” Squall continued, oblivious to the concerned look on his mother’s face. “So… does this mean you’ll take me to meet Dad now? That’s what you said I had to do before you would, you said ‘when you can fly on your own, then I’ll take you to meet your father.’”

Snowdrift took a deep breath. “Tell you what, storm cloud. This is all a bit too much for my brain to handle tonight. How about you let me sleep on it and I’ll let you know what my plans are in the morning?”

Squall grinned playfully. “All right, but only if you read alllll the way to where Risktaker meets Windchill. That’s my favorite part of the story!”

Snowdrift laughed softly; that event was more than halfway into the tale. “I’ll try, but we only have a few more hours of daylight left. We’d best get started if you want that.” She unrolled the scroll to the beginning of the story. She cleared her throat and began reading aloud. “‘He’s a runt, Allseer.’ The big dragon growled. ‘You know what this means.’ Allseer clutched her baby dragonet to her chest. She knew what it meant, of course; she was the tribe’s greatest prophet and mind reader. She also knew that this powerless runt would someday grow up to save countless lives…” Snowdrift glanced up at Squall; his claws were fixed on the lip of his alcove, and he was flaring his wings and back spikes like he did when he got excited. If he was tired, he certainly didn’t show it in his behavior.

As Snowdrift read, she found herself paying more attention to the details of the story than she had previously. By leaving aside her skepticism about NightWings, she could see how the story could inspire her son; it was about a dragon who endured many hardships in his life, yet still found the courage to do the right thing and become a hero. Cliché, sure, but a young dragonet didn’t know that. And if such a tale gave her son the confidence to follow his own path, she would read it to him as many times as he wanted.

They didn’t reach the point in the story Squall was hoping for; a little more than a third of the way through, the sun sunk below the horizon and made it too dark to read. Snowdrift rolled the scroll up and sighed. “Sorry sweetheart. We’ll finish it tomorrow, okay?”

Squall yawned, making a noise that sounded vaguely like he was trying to say “okay”, but it came out sounding like “aw-hay”. He pushed himself upright and back into his alcove, mumbling something about Flurry. Snowdrift left the room to put the scroll back on its shelf, and by the time she returned to Squall’s room, she could hear him sleeping peacefully. She quietly slipped outside, where the three moons were just starting to rise over their small tundra village.

She walked among the houses where her neighbors lived. This far from the palace and its gift of light, most IceWings went to bed with the setting sun, so it was serenely quiet. Thinking about the evening’s events as she walked, she smiled proudly; her son would never want to become a noble at this rate, and it seemed like he had found a calling to spur him onwards. _I can just imagine how Rime would feel about that,_ Snowdrift thought with a smirk. _It would gall him to no end to know what I think of our ‘noble’ family now, and what I wasted fifteen years of my life chasing._

She would never tell Squall he had such awful relatives; he was better off not knowing, and if her family ever learned the truth about him, Snowdrift worried what they might do. _I’ll die before I let them hurt him,_ she thought fiercely, _I still know a thing or two about how to protect myself._

The sound of approaching wingbeats caught her attention. Curious to see who it was, Snowdrift launched herself into the sky. As her eyes adjusted to the moonlight, she spotted a huge lone IceWing flying in from the southeast. Their grey-white scales stood out against the sparse snow and tundra below, and their right horn looked like it had been snapped off near the root, the elegance of their left horn a somber testament to what was lost.

_It’s Blizzard,_ Snowdrift thought, recognizing the old hunter who roamed the outskirts of the Ice Kingdom. Snowdrift had met her shortly after she had been cast out from her family, and the famously reclusive IceWing had shown a surprising amount of sympathy to her situation. _She wasn’t supposed to be back this way for a few more weeks. I wonder why she’s returned._ Blizzard caught sight of her and flicked her tail towards Snowdrift’s home, and the two of them quietly glided down to land in front of the house. As they touched down, Snowdrift noticed that Blizzard seemed quite winded, taking a few moments to catch her breath before she spoke.

“Snowdrift,” she said raggedly, “Thank the moons you’re awake.” She glanced at the doorway to the house. “Is he already asleep?” she asked with a hint of concern.

“Squall? Yes, I put him to sleep a few moments ago, why do you…?” her voice cut off with a gasp as she noticed the fresh scorch marks across Blizzard’s tail. “Blizzard, you’re hurt!”

Blizzard suppressed a grimace as she curled her tail up beside her and lowered her wing over it. “A few of Burn’s SandWing scouts ambushed me down near the border, shouting something about finding Blaze. I lost them in a pine forest, but not before one of them grazed me with his fire. Better that than being stung, though, and it should heal with time.”

“Burn?” Snowdrift asked, recognizing the name of the notoriously violent SandWing princess. “I thought Oasis was the SandWing queen. Did Burn challenge her for the throne?”

Blizzard shook her head. “Queen Oasis is dead, apparently, but none of her daughters killed her, and now they each say they have the truest claim to the throne. The SandWings are divided and fighting amongst themselves over who should rule, and most of the other tribes are being approached to aid each princess kill the other two. I was… out hunting… when I happened to witness Queen Glacier’s meeting with Blaze.” Snowdrift sensed that Blizzard was stretching the truth on that, but decided not to pry for now.

Blizzard continued, “She’s already chosen to provide amnesty to Blaze’s supporters in the tundra, which has all but certainly drawn the IceWings into the conflict. I was flying across the southern border warning the outlying settlements when I was attacked.” Blizzard looked out across the sleeping village and let out a long sigh. “I suggest you warn the village at first light and tell everyone to head north across the Great Ice Cliff. No sense in them falling victim to marauding SandWings or SkyWings.”

“The SkyWings are already involving themselves in this?” Snowdrift asked, wincing at the audible concern in her voice. If Blizzard noticed, though, she showed no sign, keeping her gaze out on the horizon.

“I overheard from Glacier’s conversation that Queen Scarlet has allied with Burn, and that Blister is currently lying low. It’s only a matter of time before Blister makes an alliance of her own as well, if she hasn’t already.” She snorted derisively. “With how devious she is, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn the NightWings end up throwing in with her at some point.”

Snowdrift laughed mirthlessly. “And I wouldn’t be shocked if they were the ones who killed Oasis in the first place as part of some diabolical scheme,” she said with mock seriousness, but neither of them laughed. They both sat in silence, the weight of Blizzard’s dire news sinking in. _War, after all these years._ Her thoughts turned to Squall. _He’s so young and earnest. If he was raised by my family, I wouldn’t be worried about him in a warzone, but as he is now…_ , she shook her head, killing that line of thought. _I won’t let fear drive me back into their wretched talons, but if war with the SkyWings really is imminent, what am I going to do about my promise to Squall?_ In the midst of her fretting, she noticed that Blizzard was looking worriedly at her home. _That’s odd,_ she thought, _why would she be that concerned about…_ suddenly, an old memory surfaced in the depths of her mind, and she stifled a gasp. _Oh, of course! How could I be so stupid?! This changes everything!_ She stepped swiftly in front of Blizzard, who didn’t look the least bit surprised, and half-shouted, “How long have you known?”

Blizzard sighed and said, “Long enough to know he’ll be dead in a year if he heads north.” She shook her massive head, a look of pity growing in her eyes. “I don’t envy the choice you have to make, but whatever you decide, know that I will support you.”

Snowdrift took a deep breath. A crazy plan had been forming in her head in the moments since she figured out who Blizzard was, but even still, it took all her courage to say the next few words that left her mouth.

“Blizzard,” she said, her voice shaking, “can you watch over Squall while I’m gone?”


End file.
